Category Archives: Moorcroft

Moorcroft Pottery are a collectors delight with many pieces to choose from for your collection.

Moorcroft is a well known English pottery company its located in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, originally set up by William Moorcroft himself.

During 1897 Staffordshire pottery makers James Macintyre & Co. Ltd hired a designer called William Moorcroft a young 24 year old at the time, after twelve months he was given total control of the art pottery studio. Moorcroft’s initial ground breaking variety of pottery, referred to as Florian Ware, ended up being an awesome accomplishment of the time, in addition to earning him a gold medal from the St. Louis International Exhibition during 1904. Quite uncommon at that time, he placed his signature, or simply his initials, upon the majority of pottery he created. Within due course, the particular magnitude of his accomplishments overshadowed Macintyre’s various other production lines which ended in great resentment of his employer in 1912, resulting in their decision to shut down his studio.

He then went out and established his own company, the following year his pottery had a new manufacturing plant in close proximity.

Moorcroft pottery produced an assortment of reasonably priced household tablewares and goods in combination with their famed tubelined, hand-painted art pottery.

Moorcroft’s popularity elevated when Queen Mary the reigning monarch at the time, who just happened to be an enthusiastic collector of his works, granted him a royal warrant in 1928. Just befoe the passing of William in 1945, his oldest son, Walter Moorcroft, was appointed head of the organization, which Walter continued to build up. The companies royal warrant was re-issued in 1946.

From the initial founding, as well as direction underneath Walter Moorcroft, the organization was originally being funded by a prominent London retailer, “Liberty”. The particular Liberty store’s interest was acquired by Moorcroft during 1962.

Soaring energy prices along with labour costs helped bring Moorcroft that employed high labour intense methods in production, straight into economic troubles, an area of the organization was sold to Roper Brothers in 1984. The following effort was basically not successful, and during 1986 Roper Brothers’ share ended up being resold to business associates Hugh Edwards and Richard Dennis. During 1992 Dennis as well as his pottery designer wife, Sally Tuffin, departed this company, making the Edwards family sole proprietors right up tp 2008.

Walter Moorcroft retired as director of design during 1987, yet stayed around until finally his very last design, ‘Rock of Ages’, premiered in the year 1999. From the beginning of his employment in the Macintyre’s pottery, William Moorcroft produced designs for the Aurelian Ware array of high Victorian pottery, that had transfer printed and enamelled adornment in eye-catching red, blue as well as gold colours. Released quickly soon after, his particular art nouveau inspired Florian Ware was adorned totally by hand, while using the style and design layed out in trailed slip employing a method called tubelining. This method has long been included in the vast majority of Moorcroft’s art pottery, differentiating it from mass produced pottery. Both equally father and son additionally tried using high-temperature flambé methods, making a high glaze along with radiant colour.

The latest Walter Moorcroft designs replicate the much simpler visual aspect desired in the course of his time. Moorcroft Design Studio patterns demonstrate powerful influences developed during the early founding times involving William Moorcroft in addition to the improvements for colouring methods connected with current times. Aimed towards the posh end collector along with gift market segments, normally available as pin dishes, display plates, lamp-bases, vases and jars of various size and shapes and colours.